Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All - Laura Ruby - A Short Summary & Review

 Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All - Laura Ruby - A Short Summary & Review

By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures

A Rite of Fancy Book Recommendation and Review

A tale of two orphans, a tale of two ghosts.

A short summary:

Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby is a layered novel about two orphaned girls living in a brutal Ohio orphanage during the aftermath of World War II. Frankie Mazzi struggles to survive the cruelty and rigid rules of institutional life, while in the background another story unfolds, that of a restless ghost, trapped between worlds and desperate to be remembered.

As the girls’ lives intertwine across time and perspective, the novel blends historical realism with the supernatural. Ghosts linger not just as apparitions, but as memories, traumas, and unresolved grief. The story examines how war, abandonment, and silence leave marks that refuse to fade, and how some voices fight their way back into the light.

My favorite quote:

"Hell is never what you think it's going to be."

- Laura Ruby, Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All

Questions to ponder while reading:

Have you ever been disappointed in a parent?

Do you like Italian food?

My review:

Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All is a strange but compelling novel that rewards patience. Its structure is tangled, moving between narrators and timelines, but that complexity mirrors the emotional weight of the story itself.

The novel is tragic without being fragile. There is real ferocity in the characters’ endurance, particularly in how they refuse to disappear quietly. The ghostly elements add unease rather than spectacle, emphasizing how trauma haunts long after the living have moved on, or pretended to.

This is not a comfortable read, but it is an engaging one, especially for readers drawn to stories that blend history, grief, and the supernatural into something quietly unforgettable.

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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life

She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.

You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.

✨ #TakeTheBackRoads

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